HelloGoodbye

 

So, obviously, this entry is slightly past due, but who couldn’t use a final summary :).  My heart was torn when I left and is still very much in the same condition.  As always, I was sad to leave, knowing that being away from the “spiritual paradise” of Kaleo would be difficult as well as saying goodbye to some of the most incredible people I have met in my life.  However, I was simultaneously so very excited to go home and be with my family and friends, as well as share about the goodness of our Lord and Savior.  These times are always difficult for me, but I know that moving forward is a not only a part of life, but also a part of serving the Lord.  We are not called to be stagnant, but ever searching to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. 

Over the 17-hour drive back home, along with the awesome friends I was carpooling with, I was able to really look back and reflect on the summer and all the ways the Lord had moved in my heart and the hearts of those around me.  Imagine growing five or six inches in height in one summer because of an insane growth spurt- that’s basically what happened in my heart.  I have never grown so much spiritually in one time in my life! It is almost as if God took every blinder I’ve ever had on my eyes, allowed me to see Him for exactly who He is, and reached in my heart, molding it as the most malleable clay it has ever been.  Honestly, for years, I had always felt like there was something missing in my walk with the Lord, something more I should be doing, but I just never knew what it was.  I had been praying the same prayer repeatedly, “Lord, help me to know you and serve you alone”, and all the while, feeling like a broken record.  I read Scripture consistently, but didn’t get very much out of it.  I prayed regularly, and loved it, but felt like I was always giving the Lord a to do list.  Don’t get me wrong, the Lord was certainly faithful to grow me, love me, find me where I was, and still teach me, but it was a much slower process and still lacking and now I know why.  The problem was that I was very focused on myself, even in my faith.  My goal in life was striving to be the best Christian I could be and glorifying God with my life.  Sounds good, right?  My heart was in the right place, I was just missing out on the true ultimate goal Christ desires for our lives: giving it over COMPLETELY to Him.  Sure, I gave Him a few minutes in Scripture and a prayer, but only what I had time for- we are just all so busy! I did these things in order to grow myself- me me me! I feel now that the prayer I have been praying for the past few years has truly been answered.  God has shown me what it looks like to serve Him with ALL of me, every little part.

If we don’t have time to spend with God, what do we have time for? Life is full of choices and prioritizing; we decide what do with our lives and the people we want to be.  We are a product of what we do, and the things that we make time for show the people we really are and what is most important to us.  Spending time with the Lord and doing the work of His Kingdom should be the priority that dominates all others- including work, school, and even family.  The sacrifice Christ gave for us, in order that we could know Him and live eternally in the presence of the Heavenly Father is a gift, and one that we must spend the rest of our lives thanking Him for.  It is the greatest gift ever given or that can ever be received.  He gave all of Himself to us, and the least we can do in return is offer the same to Him. 

So, what does this look like in our lives?  One thing I am certain of is that it most certainly includes sharing the Good News of the Gospel with others.  This is probably the thing that most radically answered my desperate prayer to the Lord.  Learning how to share the basics of my faith (how to receive Christ) with others strengthened my faith tremendously and gave me such a purpose for life.  On top of giving the first of everything of my own personal life, I must be avidly seeking ways in which I can share Christ with anyone and everyone in my life through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Having this training and conviction has given me a reason to wake up every morning and the desire and joy to do everything in my power to know my Heavenly Father more and more every day.  What better way to love others than to share the gift of eternal life with them?  As a Christian, if I am not leading others to Christ, what am I doing? From this day forward, no matter where the Lord takes me or what walk of life I end up taking, I am confident that my purpose in life is to lead others to Him.  Every time I read Scripture, talk to the Lord through prayer, or seek to know Him better, it is in pursuit of knowing Him more and becoming more effective at sharing His truth.  One of my favorite sermon quotes from this summer that greatly affected me is, “to meet God is amazing, but to know Him is indescribable; to know Him takes sacrifice”.  It is not necessarily easy to get up early in the morning to spend time with the Lord or give up time with family or friends to love someone the Spirit leads you to, but it is what we must do to know God and be obedient to His calling on our life- and it will be worth every single minute.  There is absolutely nothing I could do, nothing at all, that could ever repay Christ for what He did for me on that cross.  But with every fiber in my being, I can seek to love Him in honor of that gift and share it with others.  “This is love for God: to obey His commands.” (I John 5:3).

Since being back home, everything looks different to me.  Scripture is so much clearer, my heart is intently engaged during worship, and every thought and breath has a vividly clear purpose, to love and serve my Savior.  I feel an even deeper love for my family friends, and especially the lost.  I can’t thank everyone enough for the opportunity that was given me this summer through the love and support that all of you gave.  I feel like I have said it so many times, but seriously I can’t say it enough!! THANK YOU!! As I say goodbye to Panama City Beach and Kaleo, I say hello to the ministry and mission God has placed on my heart.  I will greatly miss Florida, but will certainly find fulfillment in the days to come in the Lord and His calling.  I am a renewed daughter of the King, with a heart more full of direction and joy than I ever thought possible.  May God continue to grow my heart and yours daily as we seek to know Him better and share Him with others. 

More love, hope, and gratitude than words can express,

Caylee Joy

A Tale of Two Faiths

Well, here goes another round and If I’m being completely honest, I must say that I often find it difficult to put into writing all that I am learning and all that God is doing this summer.  It could be because I am learning so much that I hardly know where to begin, but I also think that so much is very difficult to put into words.  Since my last post, however, two incredible stories of the faithfulness of God have taken place and I am so excited to share!!

We will begin with the precious girl that God brought into my path while flying home for my brother’s wedding.  I ran into her while waiting to head into Oklahoma City.  We talked a little bit, and something just drew me to her (Possibly the Holy Spirit??? Just maybe :D).  Before we boarded the plane, I asked God if I should share the gospel with her.  I felt as if He answered with a clear yes, but I was still doubtful.  So I prayed again,” God if this is someone you want me to share with, just let me sit by her on the flight.”  And now for the disclaimer: If you don’t want God to answer your prayers, don’t pray specifically!! I really did not think that I would be able to sit with her, because she was long gone by the time I boarded.  But, sure enough, I eventually made my way back to tail end of the plane and low and behold, there was one seat right beside her.  Who would’ve thought?  I certainly did not.  To make a long story short, by the end of the flight and after much hesitancy in my heart, God opened a door in our conversation for me to share the gospel with her and it was so incredible.  She did not accept, but she was very open and willing to learn.  I know God planted a seed in her life and I am excited to stay in touch with her.  The kicker of this story is that after I talked with my D-Group leader, Kelly Hall, she told me that she had been praying the entire way home that I would be able to share the gospel with someone that weekend.  The power of prayer may be something that many of us have lost faith in, but God’s faithfulness still remains (2 Timothy 2:13) and I praise Him for that!! I challenge you to be specific in your prayer and let God blow you away with His faithfulness and love, for He is certain to do just that.

On to story number two.  God has opened incredible doors for Lindsey, John, and I to share with five of our fellow Five Guys coworkers.  What a blessing!! I get chills just thinking about it.  Just last Wednesday night, I was able to share the bridge illustration of the gospel that we have learned here with a sweet little Hindu girl from India who I am blessed to work with.  I was so extremely privileged to witness her building understanding and ecstatic reaction to hearing the gospel explained in this way for the first time in her life.  By the end of the illustration, tears were streaming down her face and I knew that the Holy Spirit was doing an indescribable work on her precious heart.  It was undeniable the love and truth of God that was seen in her eyes.  She said, “This is the best night of my life and the best gift anyone has ever given me.”  I was on the brink of crying with her I was so touched by how the Spirit moved in her life.  Just earlier that day at work, we had been discussing her faith and how she worshiped at home.  It was undeniable that God had been preparing her heart for that moment when she would have the choice to accept Him, and that is exactly what she did.  Ladies and Gentleman, we have a new sister in Christ to welcome into our family and we are all so very fortunate!!  Praise the Lord for what His ever-pursuing faithfulness.

I cannot even to begin to describe how changed and blessed I am by the work that God is doing here.  It has been such and indescribable and life-changing experience to see His faithfulness and presence in such a clear way.  Besides these two specific stories, there have been so many other awesome ways with which God has been kind enough to use me for His kingdom.  I am humbled that He has chosen to use me and extremely privileged that He has allowed me to be a part of His master plan.  I pray that God reveals to you ways in which He can use you as well and that you will be open to whatever that may be.  Again, I thank you so much for your incredible love and support.  Hope to share more soon!! God bless, and may He challenge you in your faith today.

Fixing My Eyes on the Cross

Well, I have just about reached the halfway point of Kaleo and I can hardly believe it.  I am amazed with not only how fast the time has flown, but also how much God has taught me and grown me in such short of a time.  In spite of the long days and hard work that wears us out (as seen below), working at Five Guys has become almost natural to me, and God has been opening so many doors for ministry, I can hardly express how excited I am in my heart. 

As a project, we have all been making some wonderful memories, getting to know each other and God so well, and learning what a life lived for the Great Commission looks like.  A few weekends ago, we had a social where we all dressed up in things that come in four.  My D-group and I, minus Kelly, decided to go as a smore.  I was the lucky one who was chosen to dress as a marshmallow, haha.  Who would have thought that a human being could actually look like a marshmallow, but let me tell you, we made it happen.

This past week, we also began studying what is called process evangelism.  Until this point, we had been focusing on “cold-turkey” evangelism, where we simply shared the gospel with strangers.  Now we are beginning to learn how important it is to share with people we know and people with whom we can invest more time in and help in fostering spiritual growth.  God has opened so many doors with this.  I have been overwhelmed with how well we have been able to connect with our coworkers.  I feel as if I am a friend with many of them.  God has already allowed us to share His truth with four of them, and I am so grateful for His faithfulness and His willingness to use us as His servants. 

Through all of these things, we have been studying how important and central the cross of Christ is to evangelism, leadership, and our own personal lives.  We are reading a book titled Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney as well as studying the book of II Timothy, and it is changing my life; I highly recommend reading and studying both to anyone who wants to grow in their faith.  One quote that really sums up what we are learning is this: “In the midst of our various responsibilities and many possible areas of service in the Kingdom of God, one overarching truth should motivate all our work and effect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins.”  Mahaney points out that Paul told Timothy that the cross and the sacrifice Christ made for us is of “first importance” and should be what drives everything that we do.  I have been so convicted and moved through all of this.  In my life, the gospel has truly taken a backseat, and I am heartbroken to admit it.  If we forget the sacrifice Christ made and aren’t sharing it with others, what are we even doing as Christians?  In Matthew 28, the last words Christ says on earth are revealed.  He places a calling on His children to go and make disciples.  This was His plan to reach the world, and it is our calling to fulfill it.  I challenge all of you to read Matthew 28, and be reminded not only of the calling that is ours, but also of the greatest sacrifice that Christ made out of immense love for you.  When we realize how great the sacrifice was that Christ made for us, than we will be able to truly be thankful for His grace and understand that no personal sacrifice we can make enough to repay Him for His love for us. 

I thank all of you for your prayers and am so blessed to be able to share with you.  Please continue in prayer for the hearts of those we are trying to reach through evangelism and also for continued faith and open-mindedness that we will all be able to learn all that Christ intends for us to know this summer.  I cannot wait to share more in person all that God is doing!! 

Much gratitude, conviction, and love,

Caylee Joy

This time a week ago, I thought I would be completely worn out and sick of my job, but 8 days into it, I am already starting to feel like family with the staff. The food industry is definitely a difficult place to work, but after getting used to being on my feet, working my butt off all day, and constantly smelling like a burger, I can definitely say I am getting used to it and really beginning to enjoy my job. The managers are pretty awesome and my coworkers are really fun to be around. They were really great about teaching us new Kaleo kids the ropes at Five Guys, and let me tell you, there is plenty to learn. Who would have thought you had to be strategic and efficient in preparing lettuce, meat patties, and slices of cheese? These people have fresh burger preparation down to a fine art, though, and it is pretty cool.

Other than working at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, my mind is continuing to be filled with incredible new methods on growing closer to God, knowing Him intimately, and amazing tools on sharing the gospel. This past weekend was what is called D-Group weekend (The “D” standing for discipleship). Our group of four awesome girls (Kara, Kaylee, Kelly, and myself) packed our bags, and headed to Destin for the weekend. We did fun things like snorkeling and bike riding, all the while getting to know each other so much more than we had. I feel like we really began to bond as a group and it was such a blessing. God is going to grow us through one another and I am thankful for each of them and looking forward to the rest of the summer.

Being completely honest, so many things about this summer have been much more difficult than I expected, but God is using all of my challenges to make me the child of God that He has intended for me to become. The biggest struggle is realizing that as a Christian, I have been so selfish and complacent in my faith. I take God’s grace for granted all too often, and yet He still relentlessly pursues me. God is revealing to me so many blind spots that exist in my faith and all of the things that He desires to teach my heart. In one sense, it makes me feel so small and insignificant, but in some ways I think that that is a good thing. God will use me in so many ways, I am confident of that, but I am also certain that I am just one piece of the massive jigsaw puzzle that God is putting together. In seeing all that God is going to teach me this summer, I am so excited for all that is to come following Kaleo.

Please be in prayer for my fellow Kaleo participants, anyone we may be encountering through evangelism, and especially all of my coworkers. We have been asking God to pave paths to share with them and ready their hearts for any truth we may be able to give. I am getting to know many of the people I work with pretty well and I am so excited for all that God has planned. Please pray that I will have the wisdom to listen to the Spirit and words not of my own but of the Lord’s. Thank you again for all of your prayer and support!! God bless all of you.

Burgers, Beaches, and Bonding :)

So much is going on here, I don't even know where to begin!! I'll start by first saying...I'M EMPLOYED!!  We job-hunted for three long, monotonous days and God provided an awesome job in His perfect timing, just like I knew He would.  Now, I know three days sounds like an insanely short amount of time to find a job, but here in Kaleo world, it seems like forever, especially when you are turned down multiple times.  There were at least two jobs that I was so sure God would work out, but then I realized that, yet again, my plans were different than His.  I know that God orchestrated where I will be working and will open doors to do great things there.  Starting at 10 A.M. tomorrow morning (Memorial Day, woo!!) I will officially be the newest cashier of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, located just a few hundred feet north of the beach here in Panama City Beach, Florida. I am so excited!!  The manager is great, and the other employees seem really fun as well. I will certainly keep you posted on this part of the adventure!

One of the most amazing things that our entire project has done so far is beach evangelism.  It is insane how little most of us know about the gospel, and God has certainly slapped me in the face with that truth since I've been here.  I have gone to church my entire life, and yet I could barely explain the process of salvation.  Fortunately, we have had some incredible teaching on how to share the gospel, and, as of today, have spent two Sunday afternoons putting that teaching into practice.  I haven't had the honor of leading anyone to Christ yet, but one woman came very close, and I am certain that seeds were planted.  Basically, what we do is pair up and split up all along a few mile stretch of the beach, and for 2 hours, just walk up to strangers there and witness, sharing the simple story of the gospel, using Romans 6:23 as our base.  It is one of the scariest things I have done in awhile, but God granted us great peace and I have seen Him work in so many lives.  There have probably been over 20 converts from our group over the past two weeks, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!  The most valuable thing I have learned from all of this is how important it is to understand and be able to explain the message of the gospel, and even more so how intentional and proactive we must be in sharing it.  Our purpose as Christians is to share the good news of the gospel, and yet so many many Christians have never even sought to lead another to Christ.  I am so burdened by how passive I have been with my faith, and just in the first week of Kaleo, God is opening my eyes to so many incredible things, and I can't wait for all that He will continue to do here.

Another wonderful opportunity we have had as a project was to help out with the local homeless shelter in Panama City.  About 50 of us spent just over two hours sorting through an entire barn-full of food, organizing it, and re-packaging it in an orderly fashion.  It was very hot outside and took a lot of work, but was worth every minute.  It was such a blessing to work alongside such passionate and loving people, knowing that we were going to make a difference in so many lives through a simple act of service.  What we did in two hours, could have taken a small group a few long days to do.  God is just so good, I can't say it enough!!

In conclusion, I just want to again say how thankful I am for all of the support and prayers I have received.  It is a blessing that I can barely express.  Our schedule has certainly been full, but I know that God is utilizing all the time we have in these next few weeks to grow us more than we ever thought possible in our faith, and in doing so, will equip us better for the spreading of His Kingdom than we could have ever imagined.  Besides being surrounded by an amazing group of solid Christians who are incredibly supportive and encouraging, God is teaching us so much about discipleship, evangelism, and studying Scripture.  I am so very humbled by how much I did not know about my faith and God is revealing to me all that He wants to do in my life, and I can hardly wait to see all the doors that He will open and all He will do through this experience.  I hope to share more very soon, and I pray that you all find blessings in the grace, love, and peace of Christ.  And, even more than that, I pray that you receive a heart for the gospel and are reminded of how the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary is what defines our entire faith and should continue to do so every day that we walk with the Lord and continue to know Him better.

Much Love,
Caylee Joy :)

The Beginning of a New Adventure

I am just in amazement of all that God has done in my life over the past year, and am so excited for how He will continue to move this summer.  It is hard for me to believe that I am being allowed yet another incredible opportunity to spread the Kingdom of God is such a unique way.  On top of that, I am completely overwhelmed by all of the support I have yet again received.  More than enough of my support has been raised, and I am again overcome with gratitude of how generous, loving, and supportive my friends and family are.  God has blessed me tremendously through each and every one of you, and is going to do great things in Panama City this summer; I have no doubt in my mind.

So, to give a brief overview of what is going on here, I'll fill you in on a few details.  After about a 19 hour drive spread over 2 days, some minor car difficulties, and loads of road trip memories, we finally made it to Panama Beach City here in the panhandle of Florida.  The sand here is the most beautiful I've ever seen and the people are even better.  The friendliness, love, and passion for the Lord of all the Kaleo participants is so evident and amazing.  I feel like I'm already at home with these people and can't wait to grow in Christ together with them.

For anyone that doesn't understand what exactly we are doing here, the main idea is training college students to grow in their personal relationship with Christ by discipleship and evangelism through outlets such as beach evangelism and summer jobs.  We are going off of the idea that missions is an all day, every day occurrence and is something that needs to be practice in every walk of life.  As Christians, we are called to always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have (2 Peter), and that is exactly what this program is trying to do.

Right now, we are all looking for jobs.  If we don't find them, we will eventually be sent home.  I am not concerned about finding one, because I know that God will provide and He brought me here for a reason.  Please just pray that God opens doors and that I am sensitive to His voice in choosing a job, that I will be placed in the job He desires.  Pray for open hearts as we begin beach evangelism tomorrow, for both us and those who we will encounter.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of your love and support.  I have said this before, and I will say it again, this is not possible without you!! I love all of you very much and will try to be updating again soon!! God bless.

Here is the Stumo website if anyone wants to check it out:  http://stumo.org